The various thoughts of J. Dan Goodberry, writer and occasional philosopher.
Chances are, you are familiar with the idea of a parable: a simple tale used to demonstrate a spiritual or moral lesson not expressly mentioned in the story. This is prominent in religion, especially in Christianity and Islam. Allegory has a similar definition, but usually applies to the greater scope of poetry and fiction. In... Continue Reading →
Greetings! This is going to be a slightly unusual update to the blog, as I have multiple shorter objects to address. Firstly and most important, I released the edited draft of my newest short story, Grey Lights, to the website yesterday. It follows a brief chapter in the life of two young men, one blind,... Continue Reading →
Introduction: This short story is presented as the third of my "unfinished stories," tales which connect subtly through background threads. While these connections have not yet been made apparent, future releases will elaborate on the building conflict that fuels the events within these shorts. Feedback is always welcome. Grey LightsCathon Ajabon-Czar, heir to the throne... Continue Reading →
Hello all! Today I'd like to talk to you about some books I've been enjoying recently. These will typically be from a handful of genres, with an effort to consistently include at least one fantasy element. While I likely won't do this every Thursday—I'm not an incredibly fast reader, and I have some other topics... Continue Reading →
Hey all! This will be a shorter post than usual, and the start of a series roughly addressed to aspiring writers. I hope to do these kinds of things once a week on Mondays; if you have any suggestions for future posts, please feel free to leave a comment! Today’s topic concerns writing down your... Continue Reading →
(Note: There is now an updated version of this original post public on the site. You can view that version here.) As anyone who decides to follow this blog will come to learn, I am a fan of the modern fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. Today I’ll be breaking down exactly why I think his work... Continue Reading →
Jendeas H’nendwan, captain of the Lamington Watch, slammed a fist into the dining table, causing it to shake. The table was of woodhost; it was thick and grainy but very light, and it had one unbalanced leg, causing it to rock violently. The three others at the table barely reacted—they were used to this kind... Continue Reading →
A tall man, heavily built and broad-shouldered, placed a firm hand on the gilded iron rail, steadying himself. A low thrumming pulsed beneath his fingers through the metal, came through the night blue carpet under his feet, hovering in the air around him. Tension seemed to ebb and flow in a vortex around his head,... Continue Reading →
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